In recent years, as a method of expanding a dynamic range during photographing, a method in which pixels set to have a large exposure amount and pixels set to have a small exposure amount are mixed in a pixel group disposed in a matrix has been proposed (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
However, when a pixel group includes pixels having a large exposure amount and pixels having a small exposure amount, for example, the pixels that have a large exposure amount become saturated easily in a bright section and when saturated, only the pixels having a small exposure amount will be the pixels that can be output. At this moment, since the pixels that can be used to form a picture decreases, the resolution becomes degraded.
On the other hand, when all of the pixels of the pixel group are unified with the same exposure amount, when the pixel becomes saturated, no information can be obtained. In other words, since information on the type of the photographic subject and the degree of luminance is missing, information needed in control such as auto exposure, auto focus, and auto white balance cannot be obtained at all.